There has been a lot of debate in Oregon over whether public employees get an especially cushy deal, particularly when it comes health and retirement benefits. It's an issue that is growing nationally as well.

USA Today reports that new federal statistics show that benefits for public employees around the nation now are outpacing those for private employees. Last year, the value of public employee benefits rose by 69 cents an hour, compared to 23 cents for private employees.

I've seen this before. Public jobs often look particularly good in economic recessions because they are more stable. Added on to that, however, is the rapid growth in health-care costs over recent years that has led employers to shift more of the burden onto workers. Public employers have been less quick to do that - particularly since government workers are more likely to be unionized and to have their benefits protected.

Now that were in a particularly nasty recession and Oregon and so many other states are facing huge budget gaps, public employees and their benefits are bound to face more scrutiny.